The International Cricket Council on Monday said it has received report from the Board of Control for Cricket in India on the December 27 pitch fiasco in Delhi.
The International Cricket Council on Monday said it has received report from the Board of Control for Cricket in India on the December 27 pitch fiasco in Delhi.
“It’s now up to ICC general manager Dav Richardson and chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle to take a call on the issue,” an ICC release said.
The BCCI too confirmed sending the report but refused to divulge the details.
“Today was the last day for us to send the report and we have sent it. I cannot discuss further,” BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said. The report, in fact, was sent a couple of days back.
A verdict on the report is expected in a few days. Richardson and Madugalle study the report and other evidence, including video footage of the match before announcing their verdict. “The ICC will make no further comments until Richardson and Madugalle have reached their decision,” ICC said in a statement.
In accordance with the revised ICC pitch and outfield monitoring process, which came into effect from October 1, 2009, Match Referee Alan Hurst submitted a report to the ICC expressing his concerns over the quality of the pitch.
Under clause 3.3 of the regulations governing the process, the ICC provided the BCCI with a copy of Hurst’s report and requested the BCCI to respond. The BCCI has now provided a reply to the ICC’s request.
Even though Hurst rated the Ferozeshah Kotla track as ‘unfit’, which is the harshest assessment, BCCI is trying to establish that it was a mere ‘poor’ pitch. If the pitch is deemed ‘unfit’, it would mean a 1-2 year international ban for Kotla while the venue can get away with a $15,000 fine if it is declared poor.
Incidentally, ICC president David Morgan has gone on record saying recently that he would not favour an ban on Kotla because 2011 World Cup — scheduled in the sub-continent — would be ‘poorer’ without Delhi.
“I am not at all sure that such a ban would be appropriate in this case. It’s not our desire that a pitch in an important city like New Delhi should be banned for a lengthy period. The (2011) World Cup would be poor without matches being hosted in New Delhi,” the ICC chief said.
—With Agency inputs
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